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FA I - q- <br />LOCAL UPDATE <br />The following are a few of the activities carried out by <br />city officials and others under the "LOCAL" banner (Leave <br />Our Community Assets Local" –the coalition jointly <br />sponsored by the League, the California State Association of <br />Counties, and the California Special Districts Association. <br />Grassroots Activities <br />• The City of San Rafael is hosting an interactive <br />workshop with LOCAL Coalition members to discuss the <br />state budget situation and discuss how Marin and local <br />municipalities can be part of the solution. The Merin <br />County Council of Mayors and Council Members <br />(MCCMC), the County of Marin and School District <br />Representatives will make up the members of the work <br />groups. <br />A panel of experts will discuss local implications of the <br />state budget on cities, the county and schools (League <br />Executive Director Chris McKenzie will represent the city <br />perspective) along with a panel of finance experts <br />discussing various reform proposals floating around the <br />state capitol. <br />• Sacramento Valley Regional Representative Cody <br />Tubbs has a major LOCAL Coalition presentation scheduled <br />before the South Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce at the <br />end of the month. The chamber leadership requested the <br />presentation through the South Lake Tahoe City Manager's <br />office out of their desire to protect funding for critical local <br />services, including public safety, road improvements, and <br />snow removal (a big deal in the High Sierra). <br />• Los Angeles County Regional Representatives Ann <br />Marie Wallace and Patricia Alvarez- Sahagun report that <br />about 10 city officials testified about the impact of the <br />Governor's proposed cuts to local services at March 7 <br />Senate Local Government Committee hearing in the City of <br />Inglewood. ( See article, "Inglewood Hearing Highlights <br />Impacts of Budget Cuts on Local Services ".) <br />Editorials, Columns, Opeds, Letters to the Editor <br />Sacramento Bee, "State of Confusion Californians still <br />want something for nothing" – Points out that Californians <br />don't want services cut, but don't want to pay for keeping <br />them funded. Mentions VLF specifically <br />Fresno Bee, "Asleep at the wheel: Majority Democrats <br />can't come up with a plan for a state budget" – Mentions <br />"car tax" <br />San Jose Mercury News, "Finally, cuts " – Says "Surely <br />if the car fee was reduced on the condition that it would be <br />restored in bad times, the current circumstances qualify." <br />Long Beach Press Telegram, "That phantom tax hike" <br />Rivenide Press Enterprise, "Message to Sacramento: <br />Man the lifeboats" <br />Sacramento Bee Daniel Weintrab Column, "Messing <br />with primal forces in the Legislature" <br />Sacramento Bee Joel Fos Guest Column, "Other view: <br />8% solution for tardy budgeters" <br />Sacramento Bee Dan Walters Column, "What do we <br />want from government and what will we pay ?" <br />Sacramento Bee Dan Walters Op-ed, "Immaculate <br />taxation - New gimmick in state budget wrangling" – <br />Discusses Gov's unclear position on VLF increase. <br />Ventura County Star Op-ed by Chid Ter Botch and <br />four local chiefs, "State lawmakers urged to pull the VLF <br />trigger <br />Ventura County Star Op-ed by Senator McClintock, <br />"Car -tax debate short on facts" <br />Orange County Register Op-ed by Ray Haynes, <br />"Democrats play political chicken" – Mentions "car tax" <br />Oakland Tribune Op-ed by Steve Peace, "Structural <br />reform discussions" <br />News Stories <br />San Diego Union Tribune, "Legislative indecision <br />aggravating state's budge woes" – Discusses VLF <br />Los Angeles Times, "Orange County's Carved -Up <br />Budget Is Harbinger of Counties' Woes " – Quotes from Jean <br />Hurst, CSAC <br />Los Angeles Times "Democrats Delay Action on Davis' <br />Proposed Cuts" – Mentions the conflict with Davis and <br />Westly over who is responsible for pulling VLF Trigger. A <br />Sacramento Bee story covered the same conflict. <br />The Contra Costa Times, "Controller says state <br />borrowing may hit $11 billion" –AP Story. Quotes Westly as <br />saying he hopes to have agreement "in the next few days" <br />on how the VLF increase would be triggered. <br />Torrance Daily Breeze, "South Bay cities warn state <br />cuts will hurt law enforcement"– Good local impact article <br />that specifically deals with VLF <br />Sacramento Business Journal, League of California <br />Cities seeks fiscal reform <br />Sacramento Bee, "Trigger upheld for car tax hike" <br />Los Angeles Times, "Ruling Backs 'Trigger' of Car Tax <br />Hike " – Says opinion is not a reversal by Davis. Mentions <br />Los Angeles Times poll that found 59% of Californians think <br />tripling the car tax is poor idea. <br />Oakland Tribune, "Cuts package passes — no license <br />fee tie Assembly OKs $8.3 billion in savings not tied to <br />increase in car tax fees " –AP Story. Ran in several papers. <br />Riverside Press Enterprise, "State has finger on <br />vehicle fee 'trigger "' – Quotes from League Communications <br />Director, Megan Taylor. <br />San Diego Union Tribune, "Raise taxes temporarily to <br />boost slumping economy UCLA report advises" – AP Story, <br />ran in several papers <br />Visit the League's Official Web Site-- www.cacities.org PRIORITY FOCUS/PAGE 3 <br />